(a) Field
The subject matter disclosed generally relates to cabinets and units. More particularly, the subject matter disclosed relates to cabinets and units adapted for providing facilitated use by, without limitation, a physically handicapped person (i.e., such as a person in a wheelchair), an elderly person, children and the like.
(b) Related Prior Art
There is currently a growing demand for remodeling conventional kitchen and bathroom cabinet units (i.e., as well as other units for garages, offices and the like) so as to be better suited for use by, without limitation, a physically handicapped person (i.e., such as a person in a wheelchair), an elderly person (i.e., an elderly person walking with a walking stick or an elderly person that need to sit often), children (i.e., children that need to step up on a step to practice operations in a kitchen or in a bathroom) and the like.
In a practical situation, any conventional kitchen and bathroom cabinet unit (i.e., as well as other units for garages, offices and the like) has a front wall perpendicularly extending downward from the front edge of the countertop, of the countertop carrying a sink or of a countertop carrying a surface cooking elements. The front wall, which usually takes the form of the door of a cabinet, poses no problem as long as it is used by persons without a physical handicap (i.e., such as a person in a wheelchair), by children that need to step up on a step near or under the countertop, by elderly people that need to sit near or under the countertop when preparing diner, or that need to come near or under the countertop with their walking stick or any other supporting device, and the like.
Indeed, the front wall of the cabinet acts as an obstacle for a physically handicapped person, an elderly person, a child, an injured person and the like who manages to do kitchen work (or other tasks in a kitchen, a bathroom and the like) himself or herself, for instance, on this countertop while sitting in a wheelchair, sitting on a chair, standing on a step and the like.
More specifically, for a physically handicapped person, the foremost portion of the wheelchair such as the footplates impede his or her access by coming into contact with cabinet unit, thereby preventing the person from accessing the countertop (i.e., from the sink or surface cooking elements). Almost the same occurs when the foremost portion of the step/chair of a child or the chair of an elderly person impedes his or her access by coming into contact with cabinet unit, thereby preventing the person from accessing the countertop.
It is therefore difficult for the physically handicapped person, who has limited elbowroom in the wheelchair, to reach the sink or surface cooking elements on the countertop even when he or she fully extends his/her arms.
Further, when the handicapped persons, (i.e., elderly and child) are required to reach the farthest portion on the countertop, the physically handicapped person (i.e., the elderly and child) is required to lift his or her waist or take unnatural and laborious postures and actions, which is not acceptable for most of handicapped persons in wheelchairs (i.e., elderly person and child).
On the other hand, many designers and technicians try to redesign kitchen and/or bathroom spaces (and other spaces such as garages, offices and the like) by avoiding including base cabinets under sinks or surface cooking elements (i.e., an oven plate). The redesign might be conventional for a physically handicapped person in a wheelchair for example. However, these kinds of redesigns of kitchen and bathroom spaces (and any other suitable space) are more than often not esthetic.
One of the prior art units may include a displaceable cabinet which can displace from a first position to a second position on wheels under the countertop. However, since this kind of cabinet is not attached to the unit, it might be hard for a child, an elderly person and/or a physically handicapped person to displace it easily.
There is therefore a need for improved auxiliary cabinets and units for providing practical and esthetic, without limitation, kitchen, bathroom, office, garage spaces, and the like, for physically handicapped person, elderly person, children, injured person and the like.